Use Up Them Green Tomaters

Any gardener will tell you that the end of the season spells one thing: green tomatoes. Tomatoes, a delightfully easy (and tasty) item to grow at home, ripen throughout the course of the summer depending upon their breed, time planted, and if seedlings or established plants were placed in the soil. I grow mine from seed and plant them after the last frost (which in Denver means mid-may). That also means I have to cover my garden with blankets when it starts getting cold, as the garden is still producing through September and into October. When the first real freezes come (any time from mid-October to early November) I have to haul all my bounty inside to ripen there.

Last year, just before Halloween, friends were posting on Facebook about how green tomatoes are only good for frying. My response was akin to something out of Forrest Gump… Green tomato salsa, green tomato chutney, pickled green tomatoes, grilled green tomatoes, green tomatoes topped with goat cheese, green tomato parmesana, and so on. So here’s one more green tomato idea to add to the list!

In a cast iron skillet, fry the chopped bacon pieces until mostly cooked (but not too brown). Remove to drain on paper towels, leaving the grease in the skillet.

Heat a new pan over medium heat. Coat with cooking spray. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with a pinch of salt and pepper and then sauté 3-4 minutes on each side or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside.

Add the onion and garlic to the skillet used for the bacon. Sauté for a few minutes until fragrant, stirring often to ensure even browning. Add the chile and zucchini to the pan and cook for a few minutes, again stirring as needed to ensure even cooking. Finally, add the green tomato pieces. At this point you can add back in the bacon and chicken, stirring to combine and leaving in the pan until the mixture is heated through. Enjoy! (Also makes great taco filling/nacho topping!)

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You Should Know…

I have loved bacon ever since I was old enough to gum on its salty goodness. At an early age I declared I wanted to marry bacon and was sad to find out that little girls could not marry food products.

I was a vegetarian for a time—I could totally write love songs about kale—but bacon was the gateway drug that led me back to being an omnivore. So, my love of bacon and love of veggies collided, and here we are. The food is great. The pictures, so-so.